Chapter 108

“We were fortunate. We’ve discovered how the tenjira seeds entered Lindbergh.”

The Marquis placed a rather large magical device on the table.

It resembled a sunflower, a large magic stone at its center, surrounded by smaller stones. It was quite beautiful.

Carl was intrigued by Marquis Macallan’s device, the way it utilized multiple magic stones, similar to the Parman artifacts, instead of relying on a single, powerful magic stone.

‘While a single formula inscribed on a high-quality magic stone is more efficient, linking multiple magic stones of the same type onto a metal base seems quite effective as well.’

Lulu had advised him to set aside his interest in magic stones for now, and the Marquis had also stated that magic wasn’t always the answer. However, he couldn’t deny their usefulness, their undeniable allure.

And the Korean inscriptions…

Consume, Analyze, Trajectory.

Such large, bold letters.

A simple, straightforward formula, reflecting its creator’s personality.

“Just sprinkle a handful of tenjira on here. Ah, and avoid touching it with your bare hands, if possible.”

The Marquis, ignoring her own advice, scooped up a handful of tenjira and sprinkled it onto the central magic stone.

The device, as if alive, wriggled and consumed the plant.

Moments later, a shimmering light, resembling flower petals, traced a trajectory across the room, pointing towards a specific direction.

“Parman… Impressive. To dig such extensive tunnels without anyone noticing…”

“Hundreds, if not thousands, must have died,” Belfry, his nose and mouth covered with a cloth, commented, having joined them in the underground storage room.

“Now we understand why the ghouls were so active. With this many bodies readily available, they wouldn’t have starved, even while traveling hundreds, thousands of miles.”

Adrian spoke, and the Marquis nodded.

“We could follow these tunnels to Parman, but such a reckless endeavor is unnecessary.”

Marquis Macallan stated.

Both Adrian and Carl agreed. It wasn’t a good plan.

“Heineken hasn’t officially declared war on Parman yet. And I doubt this is their only tunnel. Our goal is to uncover these tunnels and seal them off before our knights invade Parman.”

She brandished her greatsword, her signature weapon, her eagerness palpable.

Her heightened senses, especially her sense of smell, which was acutely sensitive to blood, had been tingling in anticipation. She’d expected something but nothing had happened.

“How will you seal them?”

“With a magical barrier, of course. We’ll establish the barrier first, then physically seal the tunnels. We have plenty of materials now, thanks to the structural damage to the main building.”

The servants, who’d followed them, cowered, intimidated by the Marquis, who was waving her sword around excitedly, oblivious to their presence.

Belfry, seeing their discomfort, finally spoke up.

“Marquis, please… restrain yourself. You might collapse the ceiling.”

“Ah, my apologies. I get a little restless sometimes.”

Marquis Macallan winked at him, and Belfry felt a surge of annoyance.

Everyone knew about her promiscuity, her numerous affairs before she’d finally imprinted.

Her preference was Omegas who resembled Betas.

Not Betas, but Omegas like Betas.

Belfry wasn’t interested in the nuances of her preferences, but if she hadn’t been imprinted, he, now an Omega, might have been a tempting target.

‘Annoying.’

Everything seemed to irritate him now that he was an Omega.

Adrian and Carl were even more affectionate, and Leia Lindbergh, still out there patrolling, despite the chaos at the castle, annoyed him as well.

He knew she had her reasons, but…

At least with her around, he wouldn’t have to witness Adrian and Carl’s constant displays of affection.

‘Where is she when I need her? Useless Alphas.’

Even the witch, who followed the prince around like a lost puppy, was starting to get on his nerves.

Why did the prince tolerate her insolence?

Belfry struggled to calm his racing heart.

He didn’t even notice Carl Lindbergh’s worried gaze.

“I hear the prince is quite skilled with formulas. I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with for the sealing magic stone.”

“Are there any specific requirements for the sealing magic stone? Perhaps something that would effectively repel magical beasts?”

The prince’s question made the Marquis laugh heartily.

Adrian frowned, and Belfry covered his ears.

Her laughter echoed through the narrow passage.

“A high-quality magic stone, imprinted by a skilled mage. Any formula inscribed within will be amplified. However, it’s important to limit the range. A wide-range barrier could inadvertently harm innocent bystanders.”

Carl made a mental note to experiment with different formulas as soon as he returned to his room.

What kind of magic stone would be best? While the ones from the Mochu Mountains were considered the highest quality, the mining operations were slow, and procuring them quickly would be difficult.

He had Adrian Heineken for the imprinting, a powerful mage.

He’d already experimented with a makeshift magical tool.

When he’d been fleeing from the Queen-monster, he’d used a kitchen knife, a testament to Heineken’s foresight in creating weapons with slots for magic stones. He’d only had one magic stone at the time, the ‘Master’ magic stone extracted from the Parman monster. He’d used it to temporarily restrain the Queen.

He wanted to create something like ‘Double Blanket’ or ‘Burning Firewood,’ formulas that could be activated without a mage present, using the ground as a medium. There was no guarantee the monsters would only attack when a mage was nearby.

Marquis Macallan, watching him deep in thought, wondered if he might even be able to unlock the secrets of ancient magic.

While Emperor Glenn predicted the end of magic, she disagreed.

A world without magic was a bleak and desolate place.

A highly dominant Omega, skilled in formula inscription, bestowed upon a highly dominant Alpha, a powerful mage and the future Emperor… it was as if the goddess herself had orchestrated their meeting, heralding the revival of pure magic.

She wanted to witness Carl Lindbergh’s potential, to see what kind of magic he could wield under pressure.

If he fulfilled her expectations, she’d pledge her loyalty, begging him to revive the lost art of pure magic.

She watched, her eyes narrowing, as Carl Lindbergh and Adrian huddled together, their heads bent in discussion.

“Your Highness, you’re needed upstairs.”

A servant called out from the tunnel entrance.

“A message has arrived from the Kingdom of Leva. It’s urgent.”

The Kingdom of Leva… Weren’t they the pro-Empire nation that had sent delegates to the engagement ceremony?

What could be so urgent?

Belfry tilted his head, confused.

Marquis Macallan, her business seemingly concluded, urged them to leave.

 

❖ ❖ ❖

 

The message was brief.

The Kingdom of Leva was under attack. Unknown monsters were rampaging through the land. They requested Heineken’s assistance in the war against Parman, and protection for their princess, Ayla Leva.

The fragmented message, lacking details, radiated urgency.

Viscount Drambuie, reading the message, couldn’t hide his surprise.

“How cunning. It seems Parman has decided to act openly.”

“They must be ready,” Marquis Macallan commented, her tone calm and analytical.

“But why send the message to Lindbergh, not Heineken? Heineken would be better equipped to offer protection.”

“Indeed. It’s a strange request. We’ll ask the princess when she arrives.”

Belfry, along with the others, suspected Leva’s ulterior motives.

After all, Lindbergh Castle currently housed two unbonded Alphas, though one was engaged.

Perhaps they were hoping to secure a marriage alliance?

But there were plenty of unbonded recessive Alphas among Heineken’s lower nobility.

Everyone focused on Parman’s intentions, some marveling at the scale of their tunnel network, others enraged by their boldness, some demanding immediate retaliation.

Adrian, who’d just returned from contacting the Imperial Palace, reported similar incidents occurring in other nations, not just Leva.

Carl Lindbergh, amidst the growing chaos, blinked, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Emperor Glenn had already declared war.

With Parman’s attacks spreading to other kingdoms, the entire continent was now on high alert.

The Mibari Forest was becoming a desolate wasteland.

Parman, lacking both manpower and resources, couldn’t possibly win a war against Heineken.

Surely, the King of Parman knew this.

Carl Lindbergh picked up his quill.

He crossed out ‘Omegaverse.’

He circled ‘magic stones’ and ‘magical formulas,’ then marked ‘Parman’s intentions’ with a star, before changing it to a circle.

Parman’s objective must be simple. They were tired of their cramped, dark existence. They wanted out.

While the Heineken Empire thrived, its generations changing, Parman had stagnated. The younger generation must be yearning for the light, for a better life. It was only natural.

Why had the ghouls appeared in the Mibari Forest first?

Carl, unfurling a map, traced a line connecting Parman to the Leva Kingdom, the Heineken Empire, and then to Lindbergh’s capital and the Mibari Forest.

Ant nests. Soft ground. A plant that amplified magic. Unique soil composition. Water sources.

He connected the other affected nations as well.

Then, he connected the cities.

He tapped his head with his quill, carefully drawing the lines, then took a deep breath.

“Belfry.”

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“What is the estimated monster population in the Mibari Forest?”

“It’s difficult to say for certain, but… if they turned hostile, they could easily overrun Lindbergh.”

“Even Parman, with all its resources, couldn’t possibly create that many ghouls, right?”

“Probably not, Your Highness.”

Carl Lindbergh blinked, then asked, “Do you think the people who dug those tunnels for Parman ever came back?”

Belfry’s breath hitched.

“Perhaps Parman’s initial attack on the Mibari Forest wasn’t about creating ghouls, but stirring up the existing monster population.”

Or perhaps… luring them.

People began gathering around Carl Lindbergh, their eyes fixed on him.